Tuesday, January 31, 2012

There's a debate going on in our house-- nothing earth shattering, but my husband and I have complete opposite opinions. Here's the situation...

Three interns at his company started their new 6 week gig on Monday. They were told at the time of their interview that paid parking was not included.

No parking is available in the company's small garage, but there is ample free street parking three short blocks away. If the interns want to park closer to the office, metered parking is available but it is only for 2 hours at a time and it would cost them $2.00 per hour.

They were each told of the parking situation before they were hired and again on their first day at work. They work 9am to 5pm and the office is in a safe area of Beverly Hills. By the way, the interns earn college credit for their work and are paid minimum wage.

Fast forward four days into the job and all three interns have at least one parking ticket each because they chose to park closer to the office at a meter and "lost track of time".

I am thinking that the company might need to re-consider the "smarts" of these interns. Ha! I am really tickled at how far some folks will push the button on certain things. I definitely say the interns are responsible...

We just had this same situation this past summer. We had 2 summer pre-law school interns with us earning school credit (only). They were told at the beginning, & later, over & over, parking was NOT included. There are plenty of meters but no convenient free parking.

Parking was a struggle, they would "forget" their meter time, would whine incessantly about parking hassles & finally just accumulated tickets. The firm paid. They were very little help, high maintenance, & ultimately a huge nuisance because they were so needy. They were a pain in the you know what!

You wrote that you and your hubs have complete oppisite opinions, I´m just wondering what is yours? You didn´t say... LOLI´m with everyone else, the interns should pay!! Teach them to take responsibily for their actions. If the firm pays, they are setting themselves up for more of the same behaviour.

We get interns here for the summer vacation times too, and I hate it! Just sayin´....

Where I get my hair done there is no free parking that is close to the business.. Metered or valet, which happens to be $5 for ALL day.. The owner does not pay for his employees parking, nor would I assume any parking tickets... It is up to the employees to pay for their parking.. They know of the situation and take responsibility. Which in your situation here, should follow suit. After all, the office can always hire new employees, right?

Is it possible to ride the bus? I take it because when I get to where I'm going I don't need to worry about getting a parking ticket. If they are getting minimum wage, parking tickets can eat up their entire salary.

But still. The interns did it and need to find some way to keep from getting those tickets, and pay them.

Don't shoot me! Why isn't parking included for the employees/interns? It is a small token for the employees/interns to be more productive and show they are valued.At the office I work, we pay for mileage to our employees to work at our clients and are now talking about giving something towards their cell phones bills. Ummm... OK maybe it doesn't help I do a lot of the HR stuff. I also remember a manager at the airlines once told me- I would give away the farm if I could, so I guess that says it. :)In answer to your question about the tickets. The interns were told up front, so they should pay their own tickets and not make thier problem the companies problem. xo

Hell no! I can't believe they would even question that...first of all they should be happy to have an internship, those aren't a dime a dozen and secondly why jeopardize it. The young are often clueless! Just saying!

Well the way you present it, there's no question it's the natural consequence of the interns' choices...and their feelings of entitlement, maybe? But...it makes me wonder what the other side of the argument is. Can't really imagine a good one, other than "It's not fair!" but there's always two sides to a coin, amiright?

I think the comments say it all. I remember as a new employee knowing that my company didn't have parking. We would all try to "sneak in" and park in an open place at a monthly parking lot. I knew it was wrong, but for some reason I really didn't get how wrong it was. Now I do. I kind of think they are trying to work the system. Sometimes that's how younger people do, trying to prove (to themselves ?) that they are smarter than "The Man". Most of us mature beyond this stage, some never do. Bottom line, company policy is company policy. "No we are not paying your fines, this is the real world and this is the way it runs." No whining, period. But that's just me.

What's interesting to me is that in 4 days ALL THREE got tickets! I think it would be a nice gesture for the company to pay (at least this one time) but I have to agree with others that the responsibility falls on the interns.

College age = you should know about parking tickets. I give them a little credit for trying to see if the company would spring for it. It doesn't hurt to ask but the answer should be you're on your own kid.

really, that's a lot of nuts to ask the company to pay for the interns mistake. I never would have had the gall to ask. Those interns have issues with "attention to detail" and "following directions." Should go on their performance evaluations!

If one of them had asked me, I would have laughed and asked, "You're kidding me, right?"

I think the interns should pay as they were already told about the parking situation. However, a good compromise would be for the company to pay their fines this time, with a warning that they are responsible for any future ones.

Hmn, well, I know how dumb some interns are, 'cos my son is about to become one over the Summer. At the risk of sounding heavily biased, I think it would actually be a nice gesture for the company to foot ONE parking bill for them, and clearly let them know second time around and they are on their own. If these guys are working minimum wage and contributing their college smarts to the company, isn't it worth maintaining the goodwill on both sides for the short period they (for what ever reason) work there?

The interns...it was spelled out for them when they were hired...they are responsible for paying their own tickets. If the company caved and paid one ticket they would all be parking at the meters...and popping out to put money in every two hours would soon be forgotten.

Sorry interns! No sympathy for me! I was an intern at a hospital for a year and had to take 60 minute bus ride each way because there was no free parking for miles around and parking cost $15 per day to park in the lots (I was an intern so I couldn't afford that!). And this was in freezing cold/raining weather. Not gorgeous So. Cal weather where the walk would be nice!

Okay, I waited a couple of days to comment on this because I didn't want to sound like a Beotch. But, that's not going to happen so I may as well let fly.

I have always maintained that internships should be for credit at the school only. NO pay! This crap with getting paid started when kids wanted the internships paid so they could put it on their resumes as paid work experience.

Give me a break! I have never had an intern who could come in and make a serious and significant immediate impact to my work load. In fact, they add to it since I have to take the time to seriously mentor them and invest in their understanding of the real work world.

So, they should pay me if that's what it was all about. But, I digress. Since you didn't tell us which way you lean, I may as well just say what I think...

If they are being paid even minimum wage, they should thank their lucky stars and shut the hell up. SLACKERS!

However, if parking costs are involved, and there was no pay, I do feel the organization should cover that. While I strongly believe that an organization shouldn't pay for their interns, I don't feel that the student should have to bear the rather significant weight of being there, e.g. parking etc.

The first hard lesson for a lot of these kids in the cruel world when mom and dad aren't footing the bill and they have to learn what it's really like 'out there'. My son had an internship without pay but had the option of purchasing a parking permit if he wanted to park near the lab on campus. He chose to park off campus and walk 10 to 15 minutes. It was an honor for him to work in this lab and to have been chosen for this opportunity. I think appreciation goes a long way in forming character and not expecting things to be given to you. I would tell these interns to be grateful for their experience, plan ahead, get up a little earlier and smell the flowers on their walk to the office. :)

Hubby wants to pay right? Men don't have the balls that women do...I say no way! They need to learn responsibility! Society is always looking to blame someone else, other than themselves. Take responsibility for your OWN ACTIONS!! Darn it!

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